>> Thursday, August 17, 2017

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet
-- This capital town of Benguet has launched a policy urging the use of
recyclable bags to reduce residual wastes especially plastic bags in the
municipality.

The “green
market” policy initiated by the group 1993 & 2002 Public Market Association
led by its president, Winston Felipe, said the policy is their counterpart in
aiding the local government in managing waste.

He said the
policy is also in consonance with municipal Ordinance Number 11 series of 2015.

Authored by
Councilor Roderick Awingan, the “La Trinidad Plastic bag, polystyrene and other
synthetic packaging materials reduction” ordinance aims to regulate the use of
plastic bags and other non-biodegradable materials in the municipality.

The local
government failed, however, to implement the ordinance as soon as it was
passed, but is now taking advantage of the private sector’s participation to
the environment protection initiative.

During the
launching on Monday, Awingan said that the annual garbage collection in the
municipality had reached 90 tons.

From the
total garbage generation, 3/4 is biodegradable. He also said that the
municipality spends at least P2 million for the hauling of garbage to Capaz,
Tarlac, which affects the town’s coffer.

“We
thank the association for coming up with their own policy which they have
already implemented. This is exactly what we want to do in crafting the
ordinance,” Awingan said.

Under the
green market policy, stall owners will no longer place goods in a plastic bag,
thus market goers are urged to bring their own shopping bags.

Awingan
said the ordinance imposes a penalty of imprisonment and fine for
violators.

In his message,
Mayor Romeo Salda said that the cell 3 at the town’s sanitary landfill which
was established in February this year is almost full.

The said
cell was originally planned to serve the town for two years. The life span of
cell 3 is conceived to be a time leeway for the town to finish cell 4.

“But
with the monthly increase of garbage collection we can only use the sanitary
landfill until December this year,” the mayor said.

He said
that cell 3 has an extension but can only last for a few months, so the the
local government unit needs to fast-track the completion of cell 4.

Salda
said something has to be done with the help of the residents to regulate
or stop the excessive generation of residual waste to prevent facing bigger
environmental and health problems in the near future.

As an
initial move to promote the green market initiative, the local government unit
distributed eco bags while the stall owners promised reduction of residual
wastes as part of the green market policy implementation.

Awingan
said the ordinance imposes a penalty of imprisonment and fine for
violators.

In his
message, Salda said the cell 3 at the town’s sanitary landfill which was
established in February this year is almost full.

The said
cell was originally planned to serve the town for two years.

The life
span of cell 3 is conceived to be a time leeway for the town to finish cell 4.

“But
with the monthly increase of garbage collection we can only use the sanitary
landfill until December this year,” the mayor said.

He
said that cell 3 has an extension but can only last for a few months, so the
local government unit needs to hasten completion of cell 4.

Salda
said something has to be done with the help of the residents to regulate
or stop the excessive generation of residual waste to prevent facing bigger
environmental and health problems in the near future.

As an
initial move to promote the green market initiative, the local government unit
distributed eco bags while the stall owners promised reduction of residual
wastes as part of the green market policy implementation. -- PNA